1. Field of the Invention
The disclosures herein relate generally to build to order computer systems, and more particularly, to an online store user interface for enabling custom configuration, pricing, and ordering of a computer system via the Internet.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With a first generation web based on-line store, a customer was given an ability to select a base computer system (or chassis), customize the system, and price it. Such an on-line store focused initially upon the bare necessities. That is, build a system and get a price.
In the prior online store, a configurator allowed a customer to customize a system and procure it online. The configurator allowed a customer to select a given computer system model and to customize the computer system according to the user selected options. Such a configurator was most well received by persons in the know about a particular computer system, that is, those who were very self-sufficient without the assistance of a sales representative. However, the earlier generation online store was not user friendly in that it merely wet the appetite of the less sales-sufficient computer customers. In the later instance, the previous online store allowed such customers to answer one of their questions, but not all of them. Those customers still needed the assistance of a sales representative. In addition, with the prior online store, there was an assumption that in presenting all available options, the options all work together and the customer wouldn't be creating a system that could not be built by manufacturing. That assumption was not always correct.
Further with respect to the previous generation on-line store, a disadvantage was that a customer could place an order and find out only later, after the order was taken off of the on-line system and entered into another order management system, that the customer-configured system shipment would be delayed (i.e., more than the typical build time and delivery). It was the order management system which would inform a sales representative to communicate with the customer. Typically, the sales representative would inform the customer of a final order amount and confirmation of the order. In addition, it was only then that the customer would find out that, "oh by the way, the delivery time for that system is five weeks." At that, the customer would be highly inclined to cancel the order, because the customer thought that the system would be shipped within a typical delivery time (on the order of about a week).
The prior methods used for an online store included a web objects-based application providing the capability to custom-configure and order a particular computer system. The initial online store application offered customers the ability to select and price key system options, the ability to include multiple systems on a single order, and the ability to provide information necessary for the placement of a standard computer system order.
The capability to self-select system options and then price them was afforded through the presence of an online configurator. This configurator enabled customer selection of key, system-defining components from a display of available system options for a chosen system. The display of available options included the presentation of a "delta" price, wherein a change in system price was affected by selection of an option. The configurator afforded the ability to update overall system priced based upon selections made. The capability to include multiple items in a single order was afforded by the presence of a "shopping cart", wherein the shopping cart represents an equivalent to the traditional shopping cart. The shopping cart enabled customers to group disparate systems together as an order, as well as specify a quantity for each individual system to be included on the order. Furthermore, the capability to provide customer-specific information required for the placement of a standard order was afforded through the presence of an online "checkout", the checkout including essentially a form for facilitating the capture of requested and required information. The checkout form included simple logic rules to assure entry of the required fields.
The prior generation web-based online store application was problematic in that a responsiveness to customer requests was becoming unacceptable, for example, on the order of upwards of fifty percent (50%) of requests were unmet during peak business hours. Maintenance of a programming code for the online store was more time intensive and less scalable than desired. The feature set of the online store offered little to no point-of-sale merchandising capability. The feature set of the online store still further offered no means for delivering more detailed option information. Yet still further, the feature set of the online store offered no means for warning customers as to known compatibility issues between select system options. The feature set also offered no means for communicating the effect that the selection of certain system options would have on the system's delivery time. A customization of the online store for use by various business segments within the online store vendor or computer system manufacturer was less than optimal. The net effect of the problems with the prior online store included lost business and decreased customer satisfaction with the online buying experience.
Other problems existed in the previous generation online store including a lack of responsiveness to customer requests. In addition, the previous generation online store suffered from an incompleteness of information delivery with respect to a servicing of customer demand for computer system related information. Still further, system incompatibility issues were not addressed. An improved accuracy, reliability, and overall quality of the online store and buying experience for overcoming the problems as discussed above is thus desired.